Safe In My Arms
by obsessedsoul
Summary: The Doctor and River are awoken one night by the shrieks of their infant daughter. The Silence has returned and the battle for River and Freya has begun.
1. A Mother's Arms

High-pitched shrieks pierced the darkness.

River and The Doctor shot awake in bed. "No!" River screamed, immediately sensing who the murderous cries came from: her daughter. She threw back the covers and dashed frantically across the hall towards the nursery. The Doctor stumbled closely behind, sonic screwdriver in hand. Disoriented by the quick succession of events, he nearly crashed into his wife, who stood frozen in the nursery doorway. His hearts skipped a beat when he saw the source of the panic: Several tall figures with large, pale heads loomed over the cot where baby Freya lay screeching. The wrinkles in the suits they were illuminated by the night light glowing against the wall. Shadows danced across their mouthless faces, especially the large, dark, hollow chasms they had eyes. Giant claw-like hands hovered above the infant in a grasping stance, moments away from scooping her up. But the creatures had stopped in mid-action; they stared blankly and menacingly at River, their eyes locked in each other's glare.

Then there was the sound of a gun being cocked.

"River, no!" The Doctor said.

"Get away from her." River demanded, emphasizing every syllable threateningly. Her hands wavered slightly, but her eyes burned with determination and pure, unadulterated loathing.

She inched towards the figures. "I said, _get away from my baby_."

"_River…_"

"No." River said, ignoring her husband's warning. "You may have taken me, but you will _not _take her." Her voice shook in desperation and anger.

The Silent turned towards River and hissed. Sparks began to flicker from their fingertips.

_Boom. _A bullet passed through one of the creatures' skull. It crumpled to the floor, dead. One after another, the Silent continued to fall as River's bullets ripped through their brains. Although the Doctor didn't like killing much, he still defended his wife by deflecting the Silent's retaliations with his screwdriver. A few moments more, all the Silent were dead, but River continued to put rounds in the aliens' corpses.

"River…River….RIVER!" The Doctor shouted, grasping his wife's shoulders frantically. "Stop! They're dead."

The gun clicked, signaling it was out of bullets, and River dropped it on the ground, in complete shock of what had just happened. She fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. The Doctor knelt beside her and held her close.

"River, shhhh. It's alright. They're gone."

But River wasn't the only one crying; the sound of gunshots had turned their infant daughter's cries into heart-wrenching screams. The Doctor reluctantly left his hysterical wife's side and approached to the cot. River heard the sound of his sonic screwdriver momentarily between sobs. Satisfied with his exam, the Doctor bent over and tenderly lifted Freya out of the cot. Immediately her cries softened at the comforting touch and familiar face of her father.

"Here, River, hold our daughter." He said, slowly kneeling back onto the ground and offering her the baby.

"Is she…?" River said, taking Freya from him and securely cradling her on her shoulder.

"She's fine. She's not The Flesh, I checked. She's our daughter."

"Oh thank God." River gasped. She kissed Freya on the forehead and rocked her softly back and forth.

"Shhhhh. Hush , Freya. Mummy's got you. You're safe. Hush…" She whispered.

Freya's cries turned into soft whimpers.

"River."

She met his stare. He saw the fear and realization in her eyes matched his own.

"They're back." She whispered.

The Doctor didn't want to believe it, but when he looked at the corpses on the nursery floor, and saw the desperation in which River clutched their infant daughter, he knew it was true.

"Yes." He said solemnly, "and they want Freya…"

River insisted that Freya slept in the master bedroom with them that night, and The Doctor had no objections. Despite the daunting threat the return of the Silence posed, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of at his little daughter lying sound asleep, cradled against her mother's chest, with her tiny hand wrapped around River's index finger. He knew that the safest place for their little girl was right where she was then: In her mother's arms. And nothing, not even an army of Daleks, Cybermen, and the Silence combined could tear them apart.


	2. The Alliance

Little did the Doctor know that such an army was the least of his problems.

Sound asleep in their bed, the Time Lord family didn't hear the mechanical whirring of the Cybermat as it rolled out from under the cot in the nursery. Its tear drop eyes burned in the darkness and it snapped its metal teeth together twice before disappearing with a zap, the bodies of the Silent along with it.

Light-years away in space, the Cybermat appeared on a space ship's control deck. A similarly metal hand grasped it and stiffly lifted it up to its own teardroped eye level.

There was absolute silence aboard the ship as the Cyberman communicated with its tiny counterpart. Satisfied with what it heard, the Cyberman stomped around to face the host before him: Hundreds of aliens were aboard the ship, each representing the thousands more aboard their own surrounding fleets.

"The female deleted the Silent." He declared in his robotic monotone.

Sparks flew in anger from fingertips as the members of the Silence learned of the fate of their brothers.

"They were weak! The Sontaron should have been sent instead! They would have succeeded in taking the child!" A Sontaron leader interjected.

"You fool!" A Silurian hissed. "They were not sent there to take the ape! They were scouting!"

The Silent roared in anger.

"What gave them away? How faulty was their battle technique?" The Sontaron questioned.

"The child's cries." Answered the Cyberman, still holding the Cybermat in its palm. "Calculations were incorrect. Coordinates for the control room were compromised."

"What of the child?" A Dalek demanded, wheeling forward, its eyestalk illuminated with intrigue and bloodlust.

"Yes, what shall we do about the child?" A Sontaron reiterated.

"The Time Lords should not be allowed to reproduce; it is a threat to galactic law!" A Judoon growled fiercely.

Silurian warriors licked their scaled lips with forked tongues. "It has been so long since we've tasted Time Lord flesh, and my sisters and I are ever so hungry." Their leader hissed.

Cries for battle and revenge built and echoed throughout the ship. "EXTERMINATE!" "DELETE!"

"Silence." Spat a cold voice. Stiletto heels clicked against the floor. A woman with dark, curly black hair stood at the front of the room, addressing her fellow conspirators. She wore an eye patch and a dark purple lipstick that made her smile even more vile. The Silent behind her roared fiercely, quieting the room.

"Now then," Kovarian said, cold and calculating, "there is only one thing left to do…" A cruel smile spread across her face. "We kill the Doctor and his precious little family. Ready your ships for battle."


	3. Mastery

The hosts of aliens were scrambling about their flight decks, making preparations for battle. Good. That would take time; and time was all he needed.

They weren't the only ones who knew; the whispers of the universe had finally reached his ears. Ears: he never thought he'd have them again, and yet, there they were, on the side of his new head, covered by dark auburn hair. It had taken him nearly all of his power, and almost his life, but he was back. He could barely believe that he had done it. It was an unimaginable feat, but not the one on his mind right now.

The question was: how did _he _do it? It wasn't possible. Time Lords couldn't reproduce, especially _him. _He was the only one left. And yet, somehow, the universe was buzzing in equal parts joy and fear of the birth of a _new _Time Lord. It just wasn't possible.

He had boarded a Judoon ship and hacked into the Intergalatic Police Data Records, and found nothing. It was as if The Doctor had been deleted from the database, the same as the others. Only the few who were of independent mind and had experienced him first hand were able to remember him; not a single form of technology knew who he was. Strange…

In disbelief, he did a species search, his fingers frantically typing "Time Lord" into the database. And, as predicted, the computer said that all Time Lords, save one, were destroyed in the Time War. But then, he found his answer. It was another species entry: "Human _plus _Time Lord" with only one member to it: Melody Pond aka River Song, _A Professor of Archaeology at Luna University_. There was a file attached with a picture of her mug shot. He stared. She was quite the looker. Gorgeous hair, bright blue eyes… But, who was she? Human _plus? _She must have been conceived in the Time Vortex; that was the only explanation. He scanned over her file quickly, of which the Judoon had kept quite the extensive record: _Dangerous. Charges of theft, cat burglary, arson, and various misdemeanors. Carries hallucinogenic lipstick and a gun with her at all times._ No wonder they kept tabs on her, she had quite the rap sheet. _Convicted of murder, but then was released from Stormcage Containment Facility five years later due to the realization of the error that the man she supposedly killed never existed in the first place. _Now _that _was interesting. Who else could it be? A smile grew on his lips: he had him now, he knew it. He read on: _During her sentence, she broke out a recorded thirty four times._ Impressive, not many people could even say they broke out of that prison even _once._

Hmmm. Not really a definite _yes, _but he knew, deep down in his hearts, that she was the one. She was the key. She had bore the Doctor a child of Gallifrey.

The _lub lub dub dub _in his head pounded louder than ever. River Song: he would have her. And the Master Race would rise anew.

All he had to do was beat them to her.


	4. And So It Begins

A hand grasped the Doctor's nose, cutting off his oxygen supply. He snorted and reflexively gasped, effectively waking him. His eyes opened in shock.

His assailant emitted a gleeful shriek and smacked his nose playfully with her tiny palm.

_Freya. _

The Doctor chuckled, wrinkling his nose as his daughter continued to smack it.

"Oh come here you little monkey!" He roared playfully, sitting up and scooping his daughter up into his arms. He tickled her lightly, his giggles echoing her own.

River stirred beside them and rubbed her tired eyes. She smiled sleepily and the sight of her childish husband playing with their infant daughter. They were made for each other, those two.

"Hello dear!" The Doctor said, bouncing Freya on his lap.

"Mmmm, hello." River said, still groggy.

"Look, look who's awake!" The Doctor said to Freya, pointing to River. "Good morning Mummy!"

Freya laughed and the Doctor blew raspberries on her cheek, causing her to scrunch her face happily. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled against him.

"Oh someone loves her Daddy." River cooed softly.

The Doctor smiled contently and kissed his seven-month-old on the head.

"How are you?" He whispered to his wife, concerned about the previous night's events.

She shrugged her shoulders and diverted her eyes solemnly.

"Riv, if they come back, we'll be ready for them. The TARDIS is the safest place we could be."

River propped herself up on her forearms. "Then _how_ did they get in?" She whispered fiercely between clenched teeth.

"I…I don't know." The Doctor said. He had snuck back into the nursery once River and Freya had fallen asleep. He spent hours in there, scanning every inch of surface with his sonic screwdriver, and found nothing. Absolutely nothing. That was the worst of it: the bodies had disappeared, leaving not even a trace behind. He had done everything he could think of, and still he couldn't figure out how they got in, or out for that matter. It just didn't make sense. He knew there was something he was forgetting…but what?

River sighed deeply and buried her face in the pillow. "Sweetie, we can't just stay here like sitting ducks…"

"I know, River. I know." He assured her, still bouncing the baby in his arms.

Just then, the room shook violently, and the power flickered before finally shutting off.

"No!" The Doctor whispered. "That's impossible."

River stared at him; there was fear in her eyes. "What's happening?"

"They've got the TARDIS."

"The Silence?"

Ah, yes, that was it. It _wasn't_ The Silence. "No, it's much worse."

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	5. The Invasion

**This chapter contains references from my story " A Good Man Goes to War Again."**

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"What?!" River asked frantically, grabbing the gun on her nightstand and following the Doctor as he leapt out of bed, still carrying Freya in his arms. "Then who?!"

She followed him down the dark corridor, still in her nightgown. "What is it?! Doctor!"

"It's them; all of them!" He yelled without turning his head, still barreling down the hallway.

"All of who?" Her gun clicked as she loaded it.

She found her answer as they reached top of the stairs in the console room. But they couldn't go any further: the lights flickered back on, revealing an entire room filled with dozens of aliens, all armed and bearing malicious smiles. Judoon, Silurian, Slitheen, Daleks, Cybermen and more; they were all there, all his enemies at once. River tensed at the sight of it, and she reflexively placed her finger over her gun's trigger. She looked up at her husband and met his gaze. His eyes contained the same terror as hers. She tried to look as calm as possible for his sake, but on the inside she was panicking.

"River." He whispered, barely moving his lips. He handed her Freya, not taking his eyes off the host of invaders. "Take her and _run." _

River held her daughter tightly against her body with her left hand; her gun still firmly grasped by her right.

She turned to leave, but found herself face to face with four members of the Silent.

"I'd stay right where you are if I were you, _Melody Pond._" A familiarly poisonous voice called from below.

River turned back around slowly, grinding her teeth. She never thought she'd hear that voice again. That voice haunted her dreams. Her breathing deepened and Freya fussed at her side. "Shhhh." She said quietly, and kissed her head.

"Now, isn't she precious?" Kovarian taunted.

River did not appreciate the subtle threat. "You're supposed to be dead."

A smile widened Kovarian's lips. "_Supposed _being the operative word."

"Oh you're brilliant, bravo!" The Doctor said, clapping his hands mockingly as he descended the stairs. River stayed put. She wanted to stay as far away from Kovarian as possible.

"How did you do it?" The Doctor said, "Seriously, I'm stumped." He said, clasping his hands together and plopping himself down casually in a chair. He crossed his legs and leaned back; if he was nervous, he didn't show it.

"You really should have killed me yourself, _Doctor._" Kovarian said, sauntering over slowly towards him, her heels clicking with each step. She ran her fingers along the console as she stopped in front of him.

"What did you do to Jack?" The Doctor said in a serious tone, his face growing grave.

"Oh, he's alright," she said nonchalantly, "his plan just _backfired _on him, that's all. And when I say _plan, _I mean _gun." _Her smile was the epitome of evil. _"_Oops." She said with a slight laugh. "Luckily, the explosion was distraction enough for some headless monks to _slaughter _all of your Torchwood friends. Tisk tisk. Sloppy work again, Doctor."

The Doctor glared at her.

"And as for capturing your little ship, it was all too easy to combine technological forces once we spread the news of your little bundle of joy around the galaxy. It's really quite ironic: you're the catalyst to you and your family's demise." She smirked up at River, who clung to Freya possessively.

"You can have me, just don't hurt them." The Doctor said.

Kovarian cackled malevolently. "Oh, Doctor, now why would I do that? Killing one Time Lord is magnificent, yes, but how could I pass up destroying the last three in the universe?" She looked up at her henchmen on the stairs. "Take the child and kill her."

The Doctor bolted up out of his chair and River cocked her gun defensively at the Silence surrounding her.

"You don't have to do this." The Doctor whispered harshly into Kovarian's ear.

"Oh but I do." She said in reply. The Doctor felt the cold, metal hands of the Cybermen restraining him. He tried to shake them off, but their grip was too strong.

"River. River. I'm sorry." He called up to his wife.

Freya was shrieking in her arms. Sheer fear and desperation were on River's face as the Silent closed in on her. Her gun was raised, aimed to kill.

"Now, now, Melody," Kovarian warned, "there's no point in fighting. If you fire that gun even once, hundreds more will be fired at you and your precious daughter."

River closed her eyes in despair and kissed Freya; tears streamed down her face.

"No! River! River!" The Doctor screamed. "I'm so sorry." He cried, hanging his head. His agony more than he could bear.

Kovarian rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Do you wish for me to silence him?" A Silurian officer offered.

Kovarian sighed. "No. He needs to see this." She turned to face him. "Say goodbye to your family."

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	6. Trapped

Tears continued to stream down River's face as the Silent closed in on her and Freya. She was irrevocably trapped. Retaliation would result in the two of them being executed on the spot, so she reluctantly dropped the gun on the floor and clung to her baby, hoping for some flash of genius that could save her.

"Shhhhh, shhhh Freya." She whispered to the crying infant in her arms, attempting to sooth her during her last moments. "Shhhh. It's okay. Shhhh. Hush now." She had to be strong for her baby. If Freya had to die, it would be in the arms of her mother.

Sparks flew from the Silent's fingertips and found their targets. River fell to her knees as the electricity coursed throughout her body. It was utter agony; every cell felt like it was on the verge of exploding. She could faintly hear the Doctor's screams of terror as she finally lost all control of her body and crumpled to the floor, taking Freya along with her. The pain was absolutely unbearable, but she didn't care about herself at that moment: her baby was writhing on the ground beside her, regenerative energy bursting out of her. The pain of seeing her daughter die in front of her was worse than any imaginable physical torture. And there was nothing she could do.

And then suddenly, there was a flash of blue light and pain stopped. River could see from where she lay that half of the aliens were knocked out on the floor, the others fleeing via personalized teleports. The Silent around her and Freya had diverted their attention towards the invader, but they were soon vaporized into naught but bones. Freya was beside her, still emitting a bright regenerative light. River tried to reach out to her, but she found that she couldn't. The weakness of her body was too much for her to fight, and her eyelids began to droop. The last thing she heard was the Doctor yelling and a man's evil laughter. And then she blacked out.

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	7. The Master Triumphant

_They're not moving. No, they can't be dead. Not them. Not River. Not the baby. But they are. They must be. They don't deserve this. It should have been me. Why couldn't it have been me?_

The Doctor, still restrained by Cybermen, hung his head in despair, practically choking on his sobs of agony. He had done this, it was his fault entirely. This happened to everyone he ever loved; he always put them in danger. His fault.

In his state of misery, The Doctor didn't even register what was happening around him. The aliens were fleeing or otherwise being turned to ash. What finally pulled him out of his daze, however, was the laugh.

That laugh. _His _laugh. It had changed slightly with his regeneration, but he still recognized it all the same. It was a laugh which belonged to only one man, one whom he thought to be dead.

The Doctor lifted his head. Before him stood a tall, slender man with well-groomed dark auburn hair and matching stubble covering his face. He wore a black pinstripe three piece suit that was perfectly tailored to his body. Blue electricity was shooting out of his hands, scattering the aliens in all directions or otherwise blowing them to bits. He laughed maliciously in the delight of the chaos he was creating, his head flickering back and forth between flesh and a ghostly blue skull as he did so.

"Stop!" The Doctor screamed. "Stop it; you're killing them!"

The Master ignored him, and just continued on with his slaughter. Within seconds, every alien had retreated back to their ship or remained as a pile of bones.

Finally, The Master directed the stream of electricity at The Doctor's Cyberman guards; causing them to burst and release The Doctor from their constraints. The Doctor wasn't spared though: the shock coursed throughout his body as well, causing him to thrash in pain and collapse onto the floor, his breathing heavy from it.

The Master chuckled. "Oh, now that was fun." He said, cracking his neck.

"You…you…" The Doctor panted angrily.

The Master stared at his fellow Time Lord with an amused expression. "Yes..it's me!" He said, throwing his arms out dramatically, "Back from the dead! Again! God I'm magnificent…You're welcome, by the way." He prompted, with the heaviest trace of arrogance possible.

"I'm not thanking you for murdering all those people." The Doctor said, cringing slightly as he attempted to pick himself up off the ground.

The Master laughed in disbelief. "They nearly killed you."

_Yeah, well, I deserve it. _The Doctor thought."What are you doing here?" He demanded, leaning on the console as he struggled to get up. The Master had caused so much pain, so much terror and suffering in his life; he was so twisted and demented. Nothing good could come from him. Plus, the fact that _he _got to be ginger only added fuel to his fiery resentment. The Doctor was determined to stop him, whatever his plan might be.

The Master clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Now, now Doctor, is that any way to treat the man who has saved your life _twice?_"

"Get out of my TARDIS." The Doctor growled.

"Hmmm…no I think I'll stay. I quite like it here." The Master said. He placed his hands casually in his trouser pockets and casually rocked back and forth on his heels.

The Doctor clutched his chest as he felt one of his hearts beat irregularly. He toppled forward, lost his footing, and fell back onto the floor.

"Aren't you going to ask me how I got back?" The Master provoked, not caring about the Doctor's pain in the least. In fact, he was enjoying watching it.

The Doctor just glared at him through the pain.

"Fine, then." The Master said, shrugging. He kicked a piece of charred alien bone with his foot. "I guess I'll just make myself at home."

The Doctor glanced up anxiously at where his wife and daughter lay. The Master followed his eye line.

"Oh! And what do we have here?" The Master drolled. He dashed up the stairs to examine the bodies.

"She's a beauty," The Master said, bending down to touch River's face. "Oooh, and look it, there's a little one…" he said, seeing Freya beside her. He looked down at The Doctor, who was attempting to regain enough strength to stand erect. "How adorable…now how did _this_ happen? Someone's been naughty, eh Doctor?"

"_Stay away from them._" The Doctor warned.

The Master sighed. "You know, I've just about had it with you. How many times do I have to remind you," The Master said, his voice growing louder as he spoke "_not to make me cross_?!" And with that, he blasted The Doctor once more with a pulse of electricity.

The Doctor screamed with agony as it hit him. "Please…" He whispered.

"What was that?" The Master asked mockingly, placing a hand up to his ear.

"_Please._" The Doctor begged. "They need to get to the medical bay now."

"Who, them?" The Master said, pointing to River and Freya. "Oh, they'll be alright. Look, the baby is trying to regenerate, oh how cute."

Hot tears ran down The Doctor's face. He grimaced as he steeled himself enough to shakily stand.

The Master chuckled as he watched The Doctor stumble him way up the stairs to him.

The Doctor did all he could to prevent himself from collapsing on top of River in despair as he knelt next to them. Their bodies were limp and their eyes were closed. But The Master was right; Freya was still emitting a faint regenerative glow. That at least was a good sign. He shakily checked for pulses and breathed a sigh of relief. They were both still alive. The question was, just how much?

He cupped his wife's cheek tenderly. "River…River…" He whispered softly in a desperate attempt to revive her.

The Master rolled his eyes and emitted an annoyed snort.

The Doctor whipped around; there was pure anger in his eyes. "Do you not care about anyone but yourself?! My wife and daughter could have died!" The Doctor fumed, his hands shaking with rage.

"Yeah, but they _didn't._" The Master pointed out bluntly. As The Doctor turned his back to him, he allowed a mischievous smile.

The Doctor scanned his family with his sonic screwdriver. He pulled at his hair nervously when he read the scans. It wasn't good.

"I need to get them to medical bay _now." _The Doctor said urgently. He gently picked Freya up into his arms, cradling her head against his shoulder.

"No, I'm afraid that's not going to happen." The Master said bluntly.

The Doctor stared at the Master with angry confusion, holding Freya protectively. "Why are you here?" He asked, gravely repeating his previous question.

"Can't a man visit the only friend he has left in the universe?" The Master said, his voice gushing with sarcastic affection. He flashed a winning smile.

"I'm not your friend. Not anymore." The Doctor corrected.

"Well then, I won't have any problem doing this…"

Once again, The Doctor was paralyzed with head-splitting pain from The Master's electrical wrath. He crumpled on the floor, using all his strength to not injure his infant daughter; the two of their bodies shook violently on the top of the staircase. His only consolation was that Freya most likely wasn't feeling any pain in her current condition.

The Master laughed viciously at the sight of his fellow Time Lord rendered incapacitated by his unparalleled display of power. He knelt down, placed his arms under River's neck and knees, and lifted her up. The Doctor's eyes were filled with anger and pain as he lay sputtering on the floor, his body rendered useless.

"I lost my wife once, Doctor. Now you'll know the feeling." The Master said, smiling down at him.

All The Doctor could do was look on, his hearts shattering, as he watched The Master carry his unconscious wife out of the TARDIS doors.

The echo of his enemy's laugh finally faded, leaving The Doctor with an unbearable feeling of anger-coated despair and an ailing infant who was no longer glowing.

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	8. His Bespoke Psychopath

The first thing that River felt when she woke was pain. Sheer pain. She had felt like this only twice before: the first was when she gave all her regenerations to save The Doctor, and the second when she had nearly died giving birth to Freya. All of her muscles ached; her entire body felt like it had been fried, which technically, it had. Most of all, her head throbbed like never before. She didn't want to open her eyes, but she knew she had to. So slowly, she willed them open. River squinted from the discomfort of light shining into her eyes, so she covered them with a hand until they had properly adjusted. She looked around the strange room, one which she did not recognize. She was still in her nightgown, and lying on a comfortable king size bed strewn with pillows. A groan escaped from her mouth as she struggled to sit up. River examined herself: nothing fatal, just a lot of soreness and bruising. Remembering herself, she lifted the hem of her nightgown. Damn it, someone had taken the gun she had hidden in her garter holster. Her hands then searched her second reserve: her brassiere. She sighed in relief; she still had her lipstick and spare handgun. One could never be too careful. Quickly, she extracted the lipstick from between her cleavage and applied a quick coat. Finally confident that she was well armed, River massaged her temples with her fingers, attempting to recall what had happened. The last thing she had remembered was Freya lying beside her, her husband screaming, and a man's laugh. Who was that man? Well, she certainly wasn't going to find out sitting around here all day, wherever here was. So, wincing slightly, she began to slip out of bed.

"Ah, now River, I wouldn't try that if I were you..." She heard a voice say. A strange man entered the room.

"Who are you?" River demanded, staring at him.

"River dear, it's me." The man said quietly as he approached her.

"Doctor?" She asked.

"Yes, my darling." He said with a smile. He sat down beside her on the bed and took her hand in his and held it up to his chest. "Feel; two hearts."

"Oh, look at you," she said, cupping his auburn stubbled cheek, and staring into his eyes with wonder. River leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. The Master was ecstatic: she truly believed that he was The Doctor!

He smiled at her fondly once they had parted. And in return, River collided her head with his, sending him reeling backwards. The next thing The Master knew, he was pinned flat on his back, and River Song had a gun held to his head.

"What are you doing?!" He exclaimed. "It's me! The Doctor!"

River laughed. "I don't think so, dear. I know my husband, and you're not him. You've seriously underestimated your opponent."

"But I don't understand. You were unconscious! I took your gun!"

"I'm River Song. I'm trained to kill Time Lords."

The Master didn't say anything. He had started shaking.

"What did you do?" He gasped.

"Lipstick, dear." She replied with a smirk.

"But hallucinogenic..."

"Oh no no no. Not that kind...the kind from the Judas Tree. I'd say you've got, say, thirty minutes left to live." She stood up and loomed over him, still aiming her gun at him. The Master trembled, unable to stand.

"That's what you get for hurting my family, Master. Kiss kiss."


	9. Reunion

River sauntered out of the room, leaving The Master dying on the floor. Finally out of his eyesight, she wiped the Judas Tree lipstick off her lips. Thank God she'd thought to arm herself after the nursery incident last night; it had saved her. She knew that her husband would probably scold her later on for killing the Master, but didn't have time for him and his 'I'm going to take over the universe' nonsense: he had to go. Her baby and husband needed her and she was determined to get to them at whatever cost. The only problem was, she had no idea where she was. This wouldn't have been a problem usually, but the one thing she didn't have on her was her vortex manipulator. Damn it.

Just then, she heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS landing, and she knew that she'd been saved instead. A smile spread across her face. _Oh that impossible man. _She dashed over to the TARDIS' doors, but just as she reached out to open them, they swung open and she was knocked over by her clumsy husband as he attempted to exit the ship.

"River! River! Are you alright?" He asked, helping her to her feet.

"Of course I'm alright, you nostalgic idiot!" She declared, wincing at the tenderness of her muscles; obviously her pain-blocking adrenaline rush had run its course. "I'm just a bit sore."

"What happened to The Master?" The Doctor asked, looking paranoid, as if the man would appear at any moment around a corner.

"Oh, him? He's dead." River breathed with a smile as if it were no big deal.

"Do I want to know?"

"No." She replied, stepping into the TARDIS. The Doctor followed her and closed the doors behind them. When he turned around, she was already at the controls.

"River, let me do that!" He said like a child who caught someone playing with his favorite toy.

"Sweetie, we need to get out of here and as far away as possible. If there's any chance in that happening, I'm driving."

The Doctor exhaled in frustration and walked over to stand beside her. "River, you nearly died..." he said, his voice now a whisper.

River pulled a final lever. "There we are." She turned to face her husband. "Sweetie, I told you, I'm fine."

The Doctor looked at her gravely.

"What?"

"I could have lost you." He murmured. He wrapped his arms around River and pulled her into a deep embrace.

"I love you." He said, kissing her on the side of the head.

"What, that's it? A kiss on the head? What's the matter with you?" She teased.

"What...I...um..."

River chuckled. "Oh shut up." She said, claiming his lips.

After a few moments, River pulled away, her face lined with concern.

"What is it?" She said, sensing that he wasn't responding to her advances in the usual way.

Tears were welling up in his eyes.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"It's Freya..." The Doctor said, swallowing hard. "She's dying."

* * *

**Note/Edit: The lovely _leilasand_ just pointed out to me that in the original draft of the story, I forgot to include the fact that River _wipes off the lipstick before she kisses the Doctor. _Don't worry people, I've changed it now, as you can see. The Doctor will be alright...but as for Freya, I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out ;)**


	10. Nobody Knows It Like The Doctor

**Note/Edit: The lovely ****_leilasand_**** just pointed out to me that in the original draft of the story, I forgot to include the fact that River ****_wipes off the lipstick before she kisses the Doctor. _****Don't worry people, I've changed it now. The Doctor will be alright...but as for Freya, I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out ;)**

* * *

River burst through the doors of the medical bay. Her worst fears had been realized: her baby was dying.

She ran to Freya's side and practically collapsed next to her. Her little girl was so tiny, so fragile, lying unconscious in a baby incubating chamber. She was covered in blankets and hooked up to beeping heart monitors. The Doctor had put her favorite stuffed animal, shaped like an adipose baby, right next to her.

River stuck her hand through the hole in the incubator and tenderly brushed her fingers against her baby's beautiful face. She thought to herself that Freya's golden curls circled her head like an angel's halo. Her precious little angel. _Oh, but please don't let her become one_.

"Freya. Freya, please wake up." She said; taking her baby's hand in hers. "Freya, it's me. It's Mummy. Please wake up my darling..." She chocked back a sob.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around his wife. She turned and buried her face the crook of his neck.

"Why isn't she regenerating?" River cried.

The Doctor stroked his wife's hair tenderly and rubbed her back. "She was before the Master attacked us while she was unconscious. The Silent had killed her old body, and so, like any Time Lord, her body was trying to change to the next one. But she was too little to be able to withstand it like we could; when The Master shocked us, he did so right in the middle of her regeneration cycle. She didn't make it to the next body, so now she's dying in this one."

"Can't you heal her?" She begged, staring up at him with pleading eyes.

The Doctor hung his head. His tears fell to the floor. "I've tried. Several times. It's not working. I scanned her mind, and it's as if she's not all there, like she's in some sort of limbo; her mind stuck travelling between this body and the next."

"No, no, no." River sobbed, her cries muffled by her husband's jacket. She clung to him desperately. "She's so young; she's our little miracle…she can't…"

"River, I am so sorry."

The monitors Freya was hooked up to started beeping. One of her hearts had failed. And the other one was close behind.

"Oh no no no no Freya, sweetie please don't..."

River stared with wet eyes at her baby girl. Her breathing had grown irregular. She only had moments left.

River couldn't take it any more: she opened the chamber and gently lifted the little infant up in her arms and cradled her against her chest.

"Hush now, my sweet darling. You're alright. I've got you. Mummy's got you." She whispered to her.

The Doctor, trying unsuccessfully to hold back the tears, stood by River and placed a firm hand on her back. He wanted her to know that he was there for her too.

His wife looked up at him, her eyes puffy from tears and her lip quivering in sorrow; she lay her head down on his shoulder.

"Shhh." The Doctor said. He brought his free hand up, and ran it over his daughter's little nose, just as he had done the day she was born. Oh, his little girl. She would have been the savior of the universe. And now she lay dying in her mother's arms. All because of him. The agony of it ripped his hearts into a million pieces.

He cried silently as Freya's breathing became more and more weak.

"I love you. I love you…" River whispered to the bundle as she took her last breaths… "Shhh, hush now. You're alright. I love you."

And then she was gone.

River completely broke down. Her sobs shook her body with agony. She lifted her baby up in her arms and kissed her repeatedly with tear-stained lips. "No, Freya. Oh, please come back. Please come back…" She cried.

The Doctor collapsed in a chair. He didn't have the strength to stand. He held his head in his hands, crying like never before.

And then he heard the beeping. The Doctor looked up, his tears momentarily abated. It was coming from his sonic screwdriver. He fumbled around his jacket pocket for it: the side scanner bars were loaded up, illuminated with green. Just like once before when he had…

_Oh, you genius. Of course. _

He knew what he had to do.


	11. Goodbye

Her heart breaking from sorrow, River opened the jar that stored her baby's ashes and tossed them gently out the TARDIS doors.

"Goodbye, my love." She cried softly, watching the remnants of Freya scatter among the stars.

The Doctor stood silently by his wife, crying, afraid to touch her. How she must hate him: their little girl was dead because of him. Freya: the most wonderful, beautiful spirit the TARDIS had ever been home to; she was a miracle; the new hope for the universe. Their precious daughter, who had a laugh that was more lovely than any melody he'd ever heard, a smile that could instantly brighten his day, tiny little hands which took his breath away when they clung to him, River's strikingly beautiful eyes that were always filled with wonder, and gorgeous golden curls that framed her face like a halo.

How could River look at him and feel nothing but sorrow and hatred?

She turned to him, tears pouring down her face.

"River…I…" He didn't know what to say to her.

She collapsed onto his chest and wrapped his arms around him. He was taken aback by her forwardness, but eventually he realized what she needed more than anything at this moment was comfort.

And so they clung to each other, crying, giving their own silent goodbyes to their baby as she became part of the universe.


	12. Some Days Are So Blessed

**YEARS LATER**

He sat in the dark alone after Darrillium.

The TARDIS had known it was time. She had taken off without him even pressing a button. And then he knew: River was gone. Dead. Because of him. The thought made him double over in pain, his hand clutching the console, hearts ripped out of his chest, and tears streaming down his face. River. Gone. He had lost so many: Rose, Amy, Rory, Donna, Jenny, Freya, and countless more, but none had hurt as much as this. His wife was gone.

Solemnly, he stepped out of the TARDIS once again into the library. It must have been only moments after he had left so many years ago. And still, he remembered the way…that day, after all, had re-played in his mind every day for years. He never forgot a single detail of it.

He had left her diary and his screwdriver down with Cal, he remembered. It was the only place that he knew they would be safe. He didn't know it then, but he did have some strange sense that River's diary would be the most important book to him one day.

It was still there, where he had left it: on the very seat where River had sacrificed herself. With trembling hands, he took the screwdriver and placed it in his jacket pocket. He then picked up her diary and held it in his hands, but he couldn't bear to open it…not just yet.

Then, the machines around him began to whirl. The flesh-colored podium behind him spun around, revealing CAL's youthful face.

"Are you the Doctor?" CAL asked, smiling. "You said you'd be back…"

"Um, yes. Well, best be going…" The Doctor said solemnly and he started to leave.

"Wait." CAL said, and the Doctor turned to face her.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to see her?"

The Doctor was taken aback by this question. "What?"

"Do you want to see her? River: do you want to see her?"

"Can you do that?"

CAL smiled. "Of course I can! All I have to do is save you."

A single tear rolled down the Doctor's face. "Do it then; please." He whispered.

There was a bright white light and a tingling sensation, and suddenly the Doctor found himself standing on the front lawn of a large mansion. Everything seemed so real: the air, the sun, the sky, the birds chirping in the trees. "Amazing." He sighed, staring up at the sky.

"Who are you?" He heard a small voice say.

The Doctor looked down and saw a tiny ginger haired girl standing before him with a perplexed look on her face.

"Well hello there," he said, patting her on the head. "I'm the Doctor, and who are you?"

The little girl's big brown eyes widened. "You're the Doctor?" She squealed. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the house. "Mummy's told us so much about you!"

_Mummy? _The Doctor thought. Surely she couldn't mean…

"Mummy! Mummy! You'll never guess who's here!" The little girl said, practically dragging The Doctor through the front doors and into the foyer.

"Who is it, Ella?" He heard the voice of an angel say from up the stairs. He never thought he would hear that voice again in his life…

"Come and see!" Ella said impatiently, stomping her foot.

Footsteps echoed closer down the hall towards the stairs. "Ella, sweetie, I don't have time right now for your imaginary…" River finally came into view, holding a stack of folded laundry in her arms. She saw the Doctor standing in the foyer below, and dropped it all onto the floor, her face filled with shock. "…friend."

The Doctor smiled, tears welling up again. "Hi honey, I'm home." He whispered.

River chocked back a sob. "And what sort of time do you call this?" She managed to utter softly.

The Doctor's wife raced down the stairs and into her husband's arms. His hearts nearly burst with happiness as she clung to him, her chest heaving from her tears of joy. She cradled the back of his head with one of her hands, entwining her fingers with his hair, and buried her head into his shoulder.

"I thought I'd never see you again." River cried, her words muffled by his jacket. "Oh, sweetie. I love you…I love you…" She repeated over and over again, for it had been far too long since she had said those words to him.

"Oh, River. My beautiful River." The Doctor whispered, rubbing her back with his hands. "I love you."

After an eternity of holding each other, River finally loosened her vice-like grip on her husband.

"Ella, go play outside with Cal and your brother…" The little girl scampered away, giggling.

Finally alone, the Doctor lifted his hands and held River's face, wiping away the stream of tears with his thumb. "Oh, River, don't cry." He said soothingly, and pressed his lips to hers.

The way she kissed him back told him everything.

"I missed you so much." She sighed into his chest, still clinging to him tightly.

The Doctor was silent. He just held his wife close, stroked her hair, and breathed in her scent.

River looked up at her husband and smiled faintly. She stepped away from him and held out her hand.

"Come with me." She said. It was a question, a plead, not a request. He took her hand and followed her upstairs.

River led him down the hallway and into was he presumed was the master bedroom.

He closed the door behind them, and began to say "River, I'm so sorry…" but he was cut off by her lips.

"Oh shut up." She murmured into his mouth and continued kissing him.

Enveloped around one another, River staggered backwards towards the bed. Her hands started groping at his clothing, and pretty soon, their garments lay on the floor. She lay down on the bed, and the Doctor crawled on top of her. He ran his fingers through her hair while he kissed her neck and collarbone, his breathing getting heavier by the moment. River's head rolled back into a pillow, and she exhaled a deep sigh of pleasure. It may have only been days since the Doctor had seen her last, but for River it felt like an eternity.

They made love desperately and passionately, tears welling up in both their eyes from the love they shared for one another.

"I love you, sweetie." River whispered as she rested her head on his chest afterwards.

The Doctor smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead, stroking her arm affectionately. "And I love you, River. You don't know how much I love you."

"Mmm, I think I do…" River purred, lifting herself up along his body so she could claim his lips once more.

The cries of a baby echoed down the hallway.

River's lips parted with his, her face glowing with happiness.

The Doctor stared at her with bewildered amazement. "Is that…"

"Sweetie, there's something I need to show you."


	13. Everybody Lives

**And finally, here it is, the last chapter.**

* * *

_"Sweetie, there's something I need to show you."_

They dressed quickly, fueled by the anticipation of what was to come.

"River, what…" He asked her, fumbling with his bowtie.

Smiling mischievously, she took the tie from him and adjusted it. "Spoilers." She whispered. "You'll have to see for yourself."

"Geronimo." He said with a smile.

River led The Doctor back down the hallway. She stopped at a door on the right and opened it slowly.

The Doctor stepped in to the room and looked around. He gasped with wonder: It was a nursery. The walls were painted in the image of the universe: stars, constellations, star liners, spaceships, the TARDIS and the most beautiful planets. His eyes were drawn to one planet in particular, large and red; it floated peacefully over a replica of the Doctor's old cot.

The Doctor approached the cot slowly, his hearts pounding in his mouth.

A smiling baby girl sat in it, playing with her toes and gurgling. She had gorgeous golden curls and bright blue-green eyes; just as he remembered.

"Hello Sweetie." River whispered to their daughter as she wrapped her arms around her husband and rested her head against his shoulder. They watched Freya adoringly as she stared with wonder at the star mobile that twinkled above her head. She laughed with glee, kicked her feet happily, and reached her chubby little fingers upwards, waving them madly as she attempted to grasp the stars. Falling slightly short in reach, Freya then rolled herself forwards, up onto all fours, and by grasping the sides of the cot, managed to shakily stand up. She bounced with amusement, for the mobile now rested atop her golden head, tickling her little nose and twinkling in her eyes.

The Doctor looked at his wife; she met his gaze, beaming with happiness, as she held him closer to her. Tears ran from their eyes.

Freya giggled at the sight of her father. Holding onto the side of the cot, she jumped with excitement, her baby cheeks rounded by her smile. She held her arms out to her parents, asking them to pick her up.

"Oh, yes my love. Yes, you love your Daddy, don't you?" River cooed, lifting her daughter out of the cot and kissing her affectionately on the forehead. Freya gurgled happily in response and took a fistful of her mother's hair to play with.

"You saved her…" River whispered to her husband, all the while attempting to prevent Freya from pulling on her scalp too hard. "That day she died, this is where you went…you came to The Library and you saved her." She smiled at the baby in her arms as kissed her cheek. Freya squirmed with delight and returned the favor with a big, sloppy, wet baby kiss of her own. "CAL came to me, holding Freya." River continued. "She said that you had appeared with Freya's data ghost stored in your screwdriver, begging her to save our daughter…and she did. Oh, you brilliant, impossible man, you never stop do you?"

The Doctor smiled at the floor and ran his fingers nervously through his hair.

River tilted his chin so his gaze met hers. "Thank you." She said so sincerely that tears filled her eyes.

She kissed him deeply, but shortly, because after a moment of being squished against her parents, baby Freya started pulling on the Doctor's shirt.

The Doctor laughed at his daughter's tiny little hands grasping the fabric. "Come here, you." He said, and River handed her to him.

He kissed his little girl, thankful he could hold her in his arms once more. She blew raspberries, her attention now on the bowtie around his neck.

"I didn't think it would work." He whispered, holding his daughter close to him as she wrapped her little arms around his neck.

"But it did, my love." River cried softly. "And she's with me now; she's safe."

The Doctor smiled and nodded his head slightly. He held out his free arm to River and she rested herself against his chest, beaming from the fact that her family was together once more. Freya snuggled up against her parents, her little balled fist reaching out to pat River on the face. They both laughed at the sheer adorableness of their child, and Freya echoed their laughter, clapping her hands together with glee.

"I love you both so much." The Doctor whispered. He kissed his wife and daughter and breathed a silent thank you; he was so grateful that his plan had worked. From the moment that he had seen his screwdriver light up, he knew that this was Freya's only chance.

Freya could be happy here in the data core. She would have every book ever published in the universe at her disposal. She could grow up and have a life; have the most wonderful adventures with her three adopted siblings. He wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his days in the data core with his wife and daughter, watching Freya grow up before his eyes, but he had the universe to think about. He would visit as much as he could, but he knew he couldn't stay.

What mattered most was that Freya would be safe. Safe with River. Safe in her mother's arms until the end of time.

**THE END. **

* * *

**Well, that's all folks. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Your encouragement and enthusiasm for my work really means so much to me! Thanks especially for putting up with me and my endless cliffhangers! ;)**

**Reviews are always appreciated. And if any of you have any questions, suggestions, or requests, don't hesitate to PM. I can never have too much inspiration!**

**"The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant."**

**Much love,**

**Caro**


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